Flotation reagent



Patented Oct. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES FLOTATION REAGENT No Drawing.

Application December 13, 1935,

Serial No. 54,352

8 Claims.

This-invention relates to the process of recovery of coal or othercarbonaceous minerals such as hard carbon, and either natural orartificial graphite from water pulps, and has reference specifically tothe reagent employed .in effecting such froth flotation or separation.

This application .is a continuation-in-part of I my copendingapplication, Serial No. 586,250, filed January 12, 1932, for Coalflotation process, Patent No. 2,028,742 of January 28, 1936.

In the froth flotation process, as usually practiced, ore or othermineral, in finely-divided condition is suspended in a liquid carrierand subjected to aeration and agitation in the presence of an agenthaving a preferential affinity for one or more of the constituents ofthe pulp with the result that the material so acted upon is carriedupwardly by the bubbles thus formed, and concentrated on the surface inthe form of a froth.

Various types of flotation agents are used in the froth flotation ofores and these may be employed to perform different functions indifferent treatments, such as frothing, collection, promotion andselection.

This invention relates more particularly to a reagent for use in a frothflotation method of carbonaceous mineral separation, and by means ofwhich a substantially clean separation of coal and other carbonaceousminerals, in aqueous suseffected.

One object of this invention is to provide a reagent consisting of aplurality of ingredients whose proportions may be effectively variedthrough a wide range to adapt it to a variety of treatments.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reagent capable offloating a given amount of coal, or other carbonaceous mineral, in thepulp under treatment, thereby permitting very close control of theflotation operation by adding the reagent to the pulp progressively inquantities proportionate to the coal content of the pulp.

These and other objects will more fullly appear in the course of thefollowing description.

, While the present invention is adapted'for use in the froth flotationtreatment of various minerals, it is particularly suited for use in coalflotation operations. l

The reagent produce in, accordance with the present inventioncomprises'a' mixture of crude paraffin base petroleum .oil and commoncommercial kerosene in substantially equal parts, mixed. with acomparatively small amount of coal-tar creosote.

pension, from extraneous matter can be readily Used alone, neither thecrude oil, the creosote rior the kerosene is a good flotation reagentfor coal. Crude oil is a collector with weak frothing action. Cr-eosoteis a weak collector, but a strong and active frother that is very hardto control.

Kerosene has weak frothing action and very little collecting action, buthas the valuable property of speeding up the collecting action of crudeoil and stabilizing the frothing action of the creosote.

When combined in the manner hereinafter described, these compositionsform a reagent which serves to produce frothing, collection, promotionand selection in the froth flotation treatment of raw coal, coal-washerysludges, refuse or the like.

Mixtures of crude oil and creosote, crude oil and kerosene, creosote andkerosene used alone are ineffective to produce satisfactory results.Best results are attained when the crude oil and kerosene are initiallymixed and allowed to stand for at least fifteen minutes before using.Thereafter the mixture is introduced into the pulp and immediately priorto or during its entry into the material under treatment, the creosoteis introduced into the same.

A decided chemical reaction results when the crude oil-kerosene mixtureis brought together with the creosote andthe best flotation results areobtained when this reaction takes place in the flotation machine.

The crude oil-kerosene mixture may be stored for long periods withoutdeterioration and the same is true of the creosote. When the two arebrought together, the chemical action resulting, changes the compositionso that subsequent contact with air will cause a deposit of gummymaterial out of the liquid body.

For this reason, it is desirable to keep the crude oil-kerosene mixtureand the creosote separated until such time as they are to be used in theprocess, and in this way the full benefit of the reaction influence isobtained.

Any crudeparaflin base oil may be used but the crude oil from theFlorence, Colorado field is particularly efficacious. Any standard gradecommercial kerosene is satisfactory. The coal tar creosote producingbest results has a specific gravity of 1.054, a'boiling point of 210'C., and a solid residue of 18% to 19% at 355 C.

These materials constitute the preferred ingredients of the reagent, butany compositions coming within the general definitions will givesatisfactory results.

While I do not wish to be limited to specific proportions, good resultsare obtained by using from 3% to lil% by volume of creosote with from90% to 97% of the crude oil and kerosene mined in substantially equalamounts.

The amount of the reagent to be used in the process depends upon thecharacter oi the mate-=- rial under treatment, and whether large orsmall quantities are to be floated in any particular cell. For example,in treating coal, 90% of the coal content of the pulp can be floated inthe first cell of the machine by using a suficient quantity oi reagent,but in so doing, considerable amount of ash content is carried into thefroth.

'Wl iere lesser amounts of reagent are used, a smaller percentage ofcoal will be floated in the first cell, but a clean separation betweencoal and ash content will result. Theamount of reagent used to treat aton of coal will normally be from five to eight pounds, or substantiallyone gallon per ton treated.

The reagent above described, although primarily intended for use in thefroth flotation 2. A froth flotation reagent comprising es- 7 sentiallythe product obtained by mixing a mixture of crude parafin base petroleumoil and kerosene with coal tar creosote, said coal tar creosote beingcombined with the other in gredients in the presence or a flotationpulp.

- 3. A froth flotation reagent comprising essen tially the productobtained by mixing substan=- acces -re tially equal parts of crudeparafin base petro== leum oil and kerosene, constituting from 88% to 97%of the reagent composition, with coal tar creosote constituting from 3%to 12% oi the same.

i. A froth flotation reagent comprising essentially the product obtainedby mixing crude paraffin base petroleum oil, and kerosene with coal tarcreosote having a specific gravity of substantially 1.054, a boilingpoint of substantially 210 centrigrade, and a solid residue ofsubstantially 18% at 355 centigrade.

5. A froth flotation reagent comprising essentially the product obtainedby mixing four parts crude paraiiin base petroleum oil, four partskerosene, and one part coal tar creosote.

, 6. A froth flotation reagent comprising essentially the productobtained by mixing crudeparaiffin base petroleum oil and kerosene with asumcient quantity of coal tar creosote to produce a chemical reactionbetween components of the reagent, said coal tar creosote being combinedwith the other ingredients in the presence of a flotation pulp.

7. A froth flotation reagent comprising essentially the product obtainedby mixing crude paraffin base oil and coal tar creosote with asuflicient quantity of kerosene to accelerate the collecting action ofthe crude oil and to stabilize the frothing action'of the creosote, saidkerosene being combined with the other ingredients in the presence of aflotation pulp.

8. A froth flotation reagent comprising the reaction product obtained bybringing together in the presence of a flotation pulp, substantiallyequal parts of crude parafiin base petroleum oil Pm M. en.

